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Old 11-30-2007, 06:37 AM   #4
Richard Stouffer
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 188
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When parked I have 35 foot wire out of an AH-4 hanging from MFJ's 33 foot fiberglass mast. It's held to the ladder with a flag pole mount I found on the internet. The coax (213) runs from the dinette slide through the raceway with the other utilities and then through the frame to the engine compartment (it's a dp). I've grounded the radio to the inverter's ground buss and the antenna to the motor home's frame. That hasn't worked out too well and I have tripped the GFI a couple of time in the motor home.

I usually run an Icom 7000 in the RV if we are parked for more than a couple of days because it's what I use in my toad and it is a pain to move it If were are only camping for two or three days I use a 706 Mk II.

Overall the performance has been mediocre at best. The only exception was when parked at Dellanera RV Park on the beach in Galveston. I got some great 20 meter contacts on that set up.

I have got to do some experiment with the grounding for both DC and RF. I’ll be in Florida over Christmas and plan to spend some time working on it.

I would really like to hear what others have done with regard to grounding.

By the way, one habit I've gotten into to avoid starting a riot at the camp is to put up my TV's bow tie antenna, turn on the TV antenna booster and key the transceiver to see if I get any TVI.
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